Idaho Power Seeks 100 Megawatts of Geothermal Power

Idaho Power issued a request for proposals (RFP) in early June for
100 megawatts of geothermal power. Although the request may seem bold
for a state that currently has no geothermal power plants, the Idaho
Power RFP actually allows for geothermal power developments outside of
the state, so long as the power can be transmitted to the Idaho Power
service territory, which covers much of southern Idaho and parts of
eastern Oregon. The RFP is based on the company's 2004 Integrated
Resource Plan, a biennial effort to examine the company's need for
future power generation facilities or other means to meet power
requirements over the following 20 years. Idaho Power prefers projects
that will be online by June 2009, but will also consider other
proposals that include a reasonable development schedule. The company
will hold a pre-bid meeting in Boise for all interested parties on
June 29th; proposals are due on August 11th. See the
Idaho Power announcement
and RFP.

The RFP has already benefited Idaho's sole geothermal power developer,
U.S. Geothermal, Inc. The company had signed an agreement to sell
10 megawatts of power to Idaho Power from its proposed 13-megawatt
Raft River geothermal power plant. U.S. Geothermal now plans to submit
a response to the Idaho Power RFP, which could allow it to sell the
full 13 megawatts of power to the utility. Meanwhile, the company is
negotiating with the Eugene Power and Water Board for the sale of
power from its second proposed geothermal plant, which will also
produce 13 megawatts of power. The Raft River Geothermal Project is
located in south-central Idaho, and the first plant is expected to
start producing power next year. See the U.S. Geothermal press
release
(PDF 39 KB).
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